YuGiOh: A Christmas Carol
by Midna Azusa
Summary: A Christmas Carol, Yu-Gi-Oh style. Blueshipping.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, well, this is my first ever fanfic, so constructive feedback is appreciated, but please no flames. Thanks! Also it's for my sister because she wanted to see one of these. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, obviously, or even the actual storyline here because I'm not Kazuki Takahashi or Charles Dickens.**

**Edit: Okay, I realize it's been, like, forever since I marked this for revision, but I've been busy! Honest! Besides, I thought it would be best to revise it during Christmastime, so here's the first revised chapter. I added a scene and changed another a bit.**

Chapter 1

Seto Kaiba was a cold and greedy man. He ran a large gaming company known as Kaiba Corporation. Kaiba Corp was open every day of the year, even Christmas. When his employees complained about this, Kaiba fired them; he refused to deal with "insubordination."

One Christmas Eve, Kaiba was sitting in his office, barking orders to his assistant, Joey Wheeler.

"Make sure that good-for-nothing Roland doesn't try to get back in with the company. I won't tolerate it if I even see so much as a phone number for that man."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Kaiba," Joey said, making a note of this. He especially didn't want Roland back; the job he currently held had once belonged to Roland.

The secretary called, saying that Kaiba's brother Noah was here to see him. Kaiba groaned. "Send him in," he said grudgingly.

"Hello, Seto!" Noah said, popping his head into the room. "How's my favorite brother doing this fine Christmas Eve?"

"First off, Noah, I'm your stepbrother. Second, what do you want now? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Just wanted to know if you were coming over for Christmas dinner tomorrow," Noah said. "Mokuba would really like to see you, I'm sure."

"No thanks, Noah. I'm busy."

"Oh, come on, Seto! You never come to visit anymore. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't like your own family."

Kaiba didn't tell Noah that he had just hit the nail on the head. He figured it would be a waste of time to point out the fact that he couldn't stand Noah. Instead, he kept working, pretending that his stepbrother hadn't said a word.

Noah wasn't about to take no for an answer. "I insist, Seto! You're coming. I'll even send a ride so that you don't have to waste your own resources." Silence from Seto. "Hm, I see I should have brought Mokuba with me."

Kaiba glared at Noah. "You always have to drag Mokuba into these things, don't you? Why is it that you think I'll do whatever you say if you just throw my _real_ brother's name around like that?"

"That depends. Are you sure you won't come over for Christmas?" Noah asked. "I'm sure Mokuba will be horribly disappointed if you don't show. After all, your his only _real_ family, aren't you? Come on! Don't ruin Mokuba's whole day with your stubbornness!"

Kaiba sighed, "Fine, Noah. I'll be there. But only for an hour. That's all the time I can spare for your pitiful holiday celebrations."

"That's good enough for me," said Noah as he headed for the door. "See you tomorrow, Seto. Oh, and I won't tell Mokuba how much you fought me about this. Wouldn't want your little brother thinking you're a scrooge, now, would we?" He winked as Kaiba glared at him.

Kaiba sighed. Joey shuffled his feet. Kaiba glared at him, wondering what this worthless employee of his wanted now. "Spit it out, Wheeler."

Joey jumped about a foot in the air. "Well, see, the thing is, if you're going to your brothers' this year, I was wondering if I could, maybe, have tomorrow off? I mean, it's Christmas!"

"Don't remind me. We have too much work to do around here. But I'm feeling generous, so I'll make you a deal. I'll let you have tomorrow off on the condition that you show up earlier and stay later the next day. Understood?"

Joey nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Kaiba scowled. "Get out of here, Wheeler."

Joey hurried out of the room. Kaiba groaned, certain that Noah had caused his employee to ask for the day off. After all, the fact that he had agreed to go to that stupid Christmas dinner had probably just encouraged the deadbeat to ask for time off. Kaiba made a mental note never to cave to his stepbrother's demands again, even if his real brother was brought up in the conversation.

Packing up his things, Kaiba headed home for the night. Grudgingly, he told the secretary to inform the rest of the employees that the company would be closed tomorrow. Giving that punk Wheeler the day off meant that if he didn't give everyone the day off, he would be hiring all new employees after the holidays.

_Maybe I should fire Wheeler for causing me so much trouble, _Kaiba thought as he climbed into his limo.

"Mr. Kaiba, a moment of your time, if you don't mind."

Kaiba turned, irritation showing clear on his face, to face the man—or men—who had the gall to ask him for his time.

"What? Do I know you?"

One of the men shook his head. Kaiba noted, with distaste, that the pair was carrying a collection tin. "We're collecting donations for the poor. We were just wondering if you had any money that you would be willing to contribute."

"Hmm... 'The Poor.' I'm afraid I don't know anybody by that name, nor do I care to."

"No, sir, you see, this money is going to benefit those less fortunate. I'm sure they would all appreciate it if you could donate something, however small."

Kaiba pretended to think about it for a moment. "I'll make you a deal: I'll loan the poor some money, and they can pay me back in small increments."

"But, Mr. Kaiba, that's the whole reason we're giving them the donations! They don't even have money for food, let alone to repay a debt!"

"I don't do freeloaders!" Kaiba snapped. "If they want my money, they either have to earn it or be willing to pay it back, with interest. Is that clear?"

The men both shot Kaiba looks that quite clearly said they considered him less than human. "Yes, sir. Crystal."

As those nuisances walked off, Kaiba climbed into his limo, thinking of that song, "The Twelve Pains of Christmas." Wasn't charities one of them?

"If there's one thing I hate, it's people asking others to give up what they've worked so hard for just because they're too lazy to work for it themselves," Kaiba muttered. "Give my money to the poor... They can stay poor for all I care!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2. Review please! I don't own anything.**

Chapter 2

Kaiba spent the drive back to his mansion glaring out the window at Christmas carolers. He hated this time of year, with people acting insufferable simply because a "holiday" was coming. He didn't celebrate Christmas; he saw no reason why he should. It was just another day.

The limo came to a sudden stop. Startled, Kaiba threw open his door and leaped out, hoping that the driver had hit one of those carolers.

"Whoa, sorry! Didn't see you coming," said a brown-haired boy. He grinned stupidly at Kaiba, rubbing the back of his head. Kaiba wished that the driver had hit this man.

"Watch where you're going," Kaiba growled at him. The boy stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Sorry! Like I said, I didn't see you. It's not my fault." Kaiba heard him mumble something about a real-life Grinch.

Throwing a glare at the boy, Kaiba said, "If you get in my way again, I'll have my driver run you over! Is that clear?"

The boy put his hands up in surrender and answered, "Crystal, your grouchiness. Trust me, you won't see me again." With that, he ran off.

Kaiba glared after him, debating having his driver go after him and run him over regardless. He shook his head, deeming it unworthy of the lawsuit that idiot's family would likely file—even if they _would_ end up agreeing to summon out of court because of his superior lawyers.

As Kaiba got back into the limo, he thought about how idiotic some people were around this time of the year. It was as if they thought that they were invincible just because it was Christmas—more proof, in Kaiba's eyes, that Christmas was bad for your health.

Finally, Kaiba arrived at home. He entered his home to be greeted by all his servants. "Master Kaiba, is there anything I can do for you?" his butler asked.

"Just do yourself a favor and don't bother me unless there's a fire," Kaiba answered. "That goes for all of you!" he said, looking around. His servants all bowed in response as he headed up to his room to wait out this miserable excuse for a holiday.

He was just about to open the door to his room when he noticed something strange: The doorknob looked strangely like his stepfather, Gozaburo Kaiba! And as if that wasn't bad enough, it spoke to him!

"_Seto..." _The voice of his stepfather echoed down the hallway. _"Seto..."_

As his heart settled back into a steady rhythm, Kaiba grabbed the doorknob and threw open the door, ignoring the image he had just seen. "Just a hallucination. All I need is some rest," he told himself.

He quickly got ready for bed, then, as he crawled into bed, he promised himself that he wasn't going to go to Noah's stupid dinner tomorrow. After all, he hated Noah, Noah's girlfriend, and pretty much everyone else who would be there except Mokuba.

"Mokuba will get over it," he muttered. "It's not like it's that big of a deal. Who cares about Christmas, anyway?"

He was just dozing off when he heard a voice.

"_Seto..."_

Kaiba's eyes flew open. He sat up quickly. "Who's there?" he called.

Something came through the wall—something humanoid. But that was impossible! Humans couldn't move through walls! And to make matters worse, that thing looked like his stepfather. That wasn't possible! He had been dead for over a year!

Yet there he was, Gozaburo Kaiba. But he was wrapped in heavy chains. This amused Kaiba, who had never liked his stepfather.

"_Seto, stop staring at me like a fool! I really am here," _the hallucination said.

"It must be something I ate. That's why I'm having these hallucinations," Kaiba said.

"_That's where you're wrong, Seto. Like it or not, here I am."_

"No. This is just a figment of my imagination. You can't be real!"

"_Seto, I'm here to help you."_

Kaiba laughed. "Now I know I'm imagining things. My stepfather never helped me."

The image of Gozaburo cried out in anger, causing the windows to rattle. Seto jumped, certain that he couldn't be imagining all of this. _"Think what you want, brat! But these chains are what you have to look forward to when you die if you don't change your ways!"_

Kaiba shrugged this off. "Well, I will say that the chains suit you, old man," he said with a sneer. "Fitting that a man who chained down everyone around him and tormented them beyond belief, including his own flesh and blood son, should be dragging chains in the afterlife." Changing his tune, Kaiba said, "I do have to admit that you were a good businessman, but—"

"_Shut up and listen, Seto!"_ Gozaburo bellowed. _"I ran that company like the military we made weapons for! I treated my employees like dirt, and the rest of the world even worse, if that's possible."_

"I know." Kaiba smiled. "And you taught me how to be a cold-hearted businessman, too. That's probably about the only thing I owe you for."

"_You idiot! That was my mistake! I turned you into a younger version of me, and now you're doomed to the same fate!"_

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. Gozaburo only read his expression halfway.

"_These chains are what I forged in life. Carrying them is my punishment for how I treated people. And if you don't watch your step, you will end up in the same situation as me. Except your chain is going to be much longer and heavier. I'm warning you, Seto! Change your ways."_

"Are you telling me that I could end up like _you_?" Kaiba was appalled by the very thought of it. Then something else hit him. "Wait, why do you care what happens to me all of a sudden? You never did before."

"_Don't get the wrong idea, Seto. This is just my only shot at redemption, and I'm taking it. And, yes, you will end up _exactly_ like me."_

Thinking about the answer, Kaiba decided that the reason for doing this was significantly selfish enough to be his stepfather. He asked, "What do I need to do? How can I avoid this?"

"_Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits." _The malevolent gleam in his eye made Kaiba nervous. What were these spirits going to do?

Having delivered his message, Gozaburo drifted toward the window. "Wait a minute! What if I don't want these spirits visiting me?" Kaiba asked.

Gozaburo laughed. _"Tough luck! They'll be coming anyway. Expect the first at midnight."_

He drifted through the window. Kaiba ran over and looked out.

He regretted that decision in an instant.

Right outside of his mansion, drifting by, were hundreds of spirits in the same state as Gozaburo. Among them, he saw his stepfather. The spirits moaned eerily, drifting along.

Kaiba rubbed his eyes, certain that he had to be imagining this. When he looked again, the spirits were gone.

"What's wrong with me?" he muttered. "This is one crazy dream." He went back to bed, certain that this was exactly that, a dream.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! And the first spirit! It's a lot longer than the other chapters so far, but it's supposed to be! Enjoy! I don't own YuGiOh.**

**Edit: Well, the story's half revised. I realize that probably no one's reading this anymore, but still, it's bugging me to leave it the way it was.**

Chapter 3

Kaiba felt something tapping him on the shoulder. Sleepily, he brushed it off. The tapping continued. He groaned, annoyed at the sensation.

"_Come on, sleepy-head," _said a female voice. _"Get up."_

Startled, Kaiba bolted up. Beside his bed, he saw a spiky-haired brunette with green eyes. She was wearing a white dress with green trim, and she seemed to be glowing. She also seemed pleased that he was awake.

"Who are you?" Kaiba demanded. "What do you want?"

The girl giggled. _"Didn't Gozaburo warn you that I was coming? I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past."_

Kaiba blinked. "'Ghost of Christmas Past? What does that mean?"

"_It means," _she explained, _"that you're about to relive some events in your past. Preferably events pertaining to Christmas." _She said all of this as though she thought him a fool, as if he didn't understand what "Christmas" or "past" meant. Kaiba felt anger welling up inside him. He wanted to get this girl out of his house, now.

"Get lost. I don't care what you want, just get out of my sight!"

She sighed. _"I see we're doing this the hard way. Fine by me; makes it more fun!"_

The ghost grabbed Kaiba's arm and pulled him out of the bed. "Let me go!" He wasn't about to get abducted by an annoying girl.

"_Sorry, no can do. If you would just cooperate, then this would be so much easier."_

The ghost dragged Kaiba over to the window and opened it, which is when Kaiba realized what she was doing. "You're insane!" he cried.

"_Maybe," _the ghost said, _"but what does it matter? You're coming with me either way."_

"Are you trying to kill me!? This is the second floor!"

The girl didn't answer. Still holding his hand, she jumped out the window. No—not jumped—floated, just like his stepfather had done. Groaning, Kaiba wondered when this dream was going to end. It was quickly growing tiresome.

"_So, Seto Kaiba, let's see what happened to you on Christmas in the past. Because that's what the Ghost of Christmas Past does." _Kaiba was really getting sick of this girl. He wanted to hit her so badly.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but I do know this: Spirits don't exist! There's no such thing as a ghost of Christmas past! So if you think I believe anything that you're telling me, you've got another thing coming."

The ghost rolled her eyes. _"Fine, then. Believe what you want to believe. And, if you insist on being stubborn, then call me Mana." _Kaiba was pleased to hear that she sounded at least mildly annoyed. At least she wasn't the only one with the power to annoy.

Mana landed them outside of a building that Kaiba found all to familiar, and not in a good way. "This is the orphanage I got dumped at when my parents died."

"_That's right, Kaiba. And look, there you are," _Mana said, pointing to a younger version of Kaiba on the playground.

"This isn't possible," Kaiba said. "What kind of trick is this?"

Mana didn't answer. She just led Kaiba over to the playground where his younger self was. There was a young boy with long black hair playing with him. Kaiba recognized the boy instantly.

"Mokuba..."

"_Cute little kid. How old would he be now, 11? 12?"_

"Something like that."

Mokuba and the young Kaiba were playing in the sand. Neither one of them seemed bothered by the cold, December weather.

"Seto, do you think Santa visits the orphanage?" Mokuba asked; he was only about five years old at the time. To him, that was the biggest problem about living at the orphanage.

"Sure he does, Mokuba," Seto answered. "If you've been good, he'll find a way to get your presents to you."

Mokuba's face lit up. "Really?"

"You bet."

"_That was sweet of you. I'm surprised, Kaiba."_

"Shut up. That's my brother. What else was I going to do?"

"_Well, you could have told him that there's no such thing as Santa and he should grow up, that the two of you were on your own now, that you couldn't rely on the promise of a fat man in a red suit coming and giving you presents."_

"I couldn't do that. Not to Mokuba."

"_And why is that?"_

"I don't have to justify myself to you, Mana!"

"_That's just a way of saying that you don't even know, isn't it?"_

Kaiba didn't answer her. He just kept watching his younger self playing with Mokuba.

"_So, what happened between the two of you anyway?" _Mana asked.

"We were adopted. Our stepfather cast his old, bratty son aside to raise me to be his heir. Our stepbrother hated me, but he sympathized with Mokuba—the other unwanted child in the Kaiba mansion. They spent a great deal of time together, which worked for me. Mokuba had our stepbrother, and I had to work."

"_So you lost your baby brother to your drive to work yourself to death."_

"Think what you want. I've seen enough."

Mana shook her head, saying, _"Not yet, you haven't. We still have so much more to see, Kaiba." _She took his hand, and they traveled through time to another Christmas.

"Now where are we?" Kaiba asked, gazing around. It looked like his mansion, except the décor was entirely out of place. There was garland and holly and mistletoe and all sorts of other Christmas things that Kaiba didn't believe in. The place looked the way it did when his stepfather had decided to throw a party.

"_That fateful Christmas party, where your life almost changed forever," _Mana answered.

Startled, Kaiba stared at her. "You mean to tell me," he started, "that this is the night I met—?"

Just then, a girl walked past. She had long, white hair and the most beautiful blue eyes that Kaiba had ever seen. The gown she was wearing for this party was as white as her hair, and it fit her slim figure perfectly. The skirt was gathered at the waist before flowing down to her ankles, and the sleeves hung off her shoulders.

A slightly younger version of Kaiba was watching this girl, and at that moment plucked up the courage to talk to her. Kaiba remembered how that felt; she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. He couldn't stand the thought of rejection by such a gorgeous woman.

"Excuse me," said the young Kaiba, "my name is Seto. Would you care to dance, miss?"

Smiling, the girl took his hand. "Of course, Seto. I'm Kisara. It's nice to meet you."

"_Aren't you two adorable?" _Kaiba wanted so bad to hit that spirit. She was really starting to get on his nerves. _"Isn't she the daughter of one of your competitors?"_

"That's right. And to this day, I don't know what she was doing at that party." Kaiba didn't want to talk about Kisara. He knew how this story ended, after all, and he would rather not think about it.

The younger Kaiba and Kisara danced the night away. Kaiba couldn't remember the last time he had had that much fun. After the party, the two of them made plans to see each other again.

And they had. Gozaburo had died soon after the new year started, and Kaiba had been free to see Kisara whenever he liked. He watched himself sitting with her by the fire at another Christmas. The two of them were so involved with each other, they didn't notice little Mokuba spying from the hallway, or even the small pebbles that Noah occasionally threw at Kaiba's head, trying to get a reaction from him.

The next image wasn't so pleasant.

Kaiba was sitting at his desk, working. The calendar showed that it was December 24th, and the clock told him that it was 11:00. Kisara entered the room as Kaiba continued to work.

"Seto," she said, "it's Christmas eve. Why don't you take a break for awhile? At this rate, you'll work straight through Christmas."

That was a joke, but Kaiba didn't seem to notice. "Sorry, Kisara. There's too much work to be done. I don't have time to take off."

Kisara frowned. "Seto, what's gotten into you? You've been acting strangely for some time now. Mokuba says that you spend all your time working. Why is that?"

"You wouldn't understand, Kisara! I have a company to run! I don't have time for your silly holidays!"

Tears welled up in Kisara's eyes, but Kaiba was oblivious. "Is that what you think it is? A silly holiday?"

No response from Kaiba.

"Well, if you don't have time for my 'silly holidays,' then I suppose you don't have time for me either."

Kaiba stood up, saying, "That's not what I meant. I only meant that, to provide the best for you—for us—I need to focus on work. I want you to have the best, and only the best."

"Seto, all I really want or need is you."

"You say that now, but wait until we don't have anything but the clothes on our backs. That's exactly what will happen if I don't focus on work!"

"You sound like my father."

Kaiba sat down again, getting back to work. "Think what you want."

Kisara was quiet for a moment. "Seto," she finally asked, "are you really working so hard for me? Or is this because you've become obsessed with money?"

Kaiba ignored her. That was all the answer Kisara needed.

"No, you fool," Kaiba tried to tell himself. "Don't let her think that. Say something!"

Kisara shook her head. "Goodbye, Seto." With that, she ran from the room.

"I've seen enough," Kaiba told Mana. "Why are you showing me this? It's not my fault she took that so personally!"

Mana shook her head. _"She didn't overreact, Kaiba. You were too busy for her, and you told her so right there. Being too busy to take the time to spend a 'silly holiday' with her says quite a bit about you. It also shows just how money-obsessed you've become. 'I need to work so we can have things because material objects are _way_ more important than people.'__"_

Kaiba glared at her. "What do you know?"

"_More than you ever will, with that kind of an attitude," _she huffed. _"Well, Kaiba, that's all I've got to show you. I'll send you home now, so you can pretend that this is all some sort of crazy dream until the next spirit arrives."_

The next thing Kaiba knew, he was back in his bed. Looking around, he saw no sign of Mana, or "the Ghost of Christmas Past," or whatever she wanted to call herself.

"I knew it," Kaiba muttered. "It was all just some crazy dream."

That's when he heard a loud noise downstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, here's chapter 4, and the second spirit! Enjoy! I don't own YuGiOh.**

**I didn't really like this chapter much, so here's the revision (with my sister's help to give credit where it's due).**

Chapter 4

Thinking that someone had broken into his house, Kaiba grabbed a gun and headed downstairs. When he reached the foot of the stairs, he realized that the sounds were coming from the kitchen.

"Don't tell me I have a burglar who just wants my food," he grumbled as he headed for the kitchen.

Sure enough, that's exactly what he had. Standing there in front of his refrigerator was a fat Egyptian man. Kaiba cocked the gun.

"All right, you! Turn around slowly and maybe I won't shoot you."

The man turned and looked at Kaiba. Then he laughed. _"You can't shoot me, Seto Kaiba! I am the Ghost of Christmas Present! I cannot be harmed by your weapons." _With that established, he took a big bite out of a turkey that he had found in the fridge.

Kaiba groaned, "Great. Another one of you. Like I told the last one, I don't believe in spirits. So quit wasting your time."

The spirit laughed again. He had a very jolly laugh that almost made Kaiba want to smile. He probably would have if this man wasn't cleaning out his refrigerator for him by eating everything in sight. _"Yes, I was informed of this. Mana said you were much more stubborn than any we've dealt with in the past. Therefore, you may call me Bobasa!"_

Kaiba just stared at him. "Bobasa," he said flatly. "Seriously?"

Bobasa closed the refrigerator door and said, _"Never mind that. I am here to show you—"_

"More unrealistic images, presumably of this Christmas, right?" said Kaiba lamely. "Yeah, just get on with it. I'm tired."

Bobasa seemed upset at being interrupted, but he recovered quickly. _"As you wish! Take my robe."_

Kaiba grumbled, taking the fat man's robe, and they were gone.

The next thing Kaiba knew, he was standing in the snow, and it was morning. He and Bobasa were outside of a run-down apartment building. This had to be the cheapest place in town, where anyone who couldn't afford a real home lived.

"Is there any reason why you brought me here?" Kaiba asked Bobasa. "I doubt I care about anyone in there. I don't even know any of them, I'm sure."

"_I wouldn't be so sure of that, Kaiba," _said Bobasa, leading Kaiba into the building. _"You might be surprised who you'll see here."_

Indeed, Kaiba was surprised when they reached the third floor. According to the plaque next to the door of the apartment in front of him, this was the home of his employee, Joey Wheeler.

"You're kidding me! I pay him better than this!"

Bobasa shook his head. _"You pay him the same as everyone else employed at Kaiba Corporation. Just be glad that we don't have time to visit all of your employees." _Kaiba wasn't sure if this was a joke or not.

Bobasa led Kaiba through the door into the apartment. They were standing in a small, cramped room that appeared to be the dining room, kitchen, and living room all rolled into one. There was a small table in the middle of the room, with several chairs around it. Over in the kitchen area, a blonde woman was cooking something. Kaiba was surprised—she was actually attractive. _How did Wheeler get a girl like that? _he thought, baffled.

There was a loud crashing sound from somewhere else in the apartment. The woman groaned as two children came running into the room. A young girl with short brown hair was chasing a red-headed boy, presumably her brother.

"Alister, you no-good, dirty-rotten, little pervert! Stay out of my room!" the girl screamed at her brother.

The woman turned to her children. "Tea! Alister! What's going on?"

The girl, Tea, pointed at Alister and said, "He just barged into my room without even knocking! I could've been getting dressed for all he knew!"

"Please, Tea, do you really think I want to see my sister without any clothes on?"

"Why not, you'll never have a real girlfriend!"

"Alright, kids, knock it off!" Joey had just entered the scene, with two more boys behind him. "Next one to shout gets to skip dinner tonight!"

The kids immediately shut up. A boy with white hair was grinning from behind Joey. Kaiba was beginning to wonder how many kids Joey had, and if they were actually his. He was too young to have this many, and they didn't even look like him or their mother.

"Daddy," a small voice said. "Why do Tea and Alister always fight?"

Kaiba looked at the child who had spoken. He was a small boy, the only one in this room who actually looked like one of the others. He had the same hair as Alister. And he had crutches.

"Well, Mikey, when a boy and a girl like each other, they do stupid things." Kaiba hoped this was a joke. These kids were related, for crying out loud.

"I don't like her!" Alister said at the same time that Tea declared she would rather eat worms than like him.

Joey grinned. "Don't be ashamed. It's not like you're really related anyway, seeing as how you're both adopted."

Kaiba felt sudden admiration for this employee. Here he was, barely able to care for himself and his wife, and instead of dumping his own children at the orphanage, he was picking up other people's kids.

The white-haired boy had been tugging on Joey's jeans for awhile now. Finally, Joey acknowledged this. "What is it, Ryo?"

"Dad? Is it safe to come out?"

"Of course it is!" Joey said. "Little Mikey's here! They never fight around him! In fact, when he's home, they act like his mom and dad." He added under his breath, "Taking my job and my wife's..."

"We do not!" the two fighting children chorused. At some point while their father was talking, they had both moved to aid the youngest child, apparently Mikey. The two glared at each other before Alister continued, "Mikey's my brother! I have to set a good example for him, and fighting with Tea doesn't qualify as a 'good' example."

"Yeah!" Tea added. "Plus he's sick and needs our help. I can't just ignore him! I mean, it's not like he's Alister or something!"

"Bobasa, what's wrong with him?" Kaiba asked, sweating—those kids were like oil and water.

"_Oh, nothing that you need concern yourself with," _said Bobasa airily. _"It's something that only affects those who can't afford to deal with it."_

Casting Tea a look of pure loathing, Alister added, "Besides, I wouldn't be caught dead married to her!"

Tea glared at Alister. "What's wrong with me?"

"Everything!"

"All right, that's enough!" Mai yelled at the two. "Tea, quit fighting with your brother and come help me with dinner."

"Yes, Mother."

Joey shook his head, saying, "Geez, my kids! I should never have adopted all of them." He sighed. "Maybe I should have gone for the ones that weren't at each others' throats."

"That's enough, Joey Wheeler!" Mai bellowed at him, holding a frying pan up in a rather threatening way.

"What? You know I'm right! All the kids we adopted have problems! This one's afraid of everything," he said, gesturing at Ryo. "This one," he said, pointing at Alister, "was orphaned during a war in his home country. And this one..." He paused for a moment, glancing at Tea. "Well, you get the point!"

Mai narrowed her eyes at her husband. "Stop complaining about your kids and sit down, Joey! It's time for dinner!" She threw her hands up, exasperatedly. "Maybe I should have married that other guy, Valon. The one my mother liked."

"Alright, alright, I get it! Sorry!" He sighed and added under his breath, "Geez, bring him up at Christmas. Ah, well, I guess I deserve that. My kids aren't really that bad..."

"So this is Wheeler's family?" Kaiba asked with a grin. "And you think I have problems."

Bobasa shook his head. _"They are not as bad as they look, Kaiba. Look at them now."_

Kaiba glanced back at the family. They were all gathered around the dinner table, ready to eat what appeared to be the world's smallest turkey. Yet they were all smiling and laughing, even Alister and Tea.

Bobasa continued, _"Though it may not seem like it at times, they all love each other very much."_

Wow!" Joey said, "Looks great, honey! Well, let's eat!"

Mai sighed, "What a pig. Joey! Aren't you forgetting something?"

Joey looked around, shrugged, and said, "Not that I can think of. Why?"

Mai whacked him upside the head, eliciting giggles from her children. "It's Christmas, you idiot! So, shouldn't we be thanking somebody for this meal? Especially today?"

Joey rubbed the back of his head and said, "Oh, yeah. Go ahead, Mai."

Sighing, Mai said grace. Then, she looked at Joey and said, "Alright, now you can eat." Under her breath, she mumbled, "And this Sunday, I'm dragging you to church whether you like it or not."

Kaiba stared at the family in awe. "What a family. But they seem so...happy. Why? I mean, look at them! They fight all the time, they live in this dump, and they eat the smallest meals I've ever seen. It doesn't make sense."

Bobasa huffed. _"Well, when one works for you, this is all one can afford. Not that they need great wealth. They have something that wealth can never replace."_

Kaiba stared at the fat man in wonder before asking, "And what would that be?"

_"Can't you tell? Love, and that is something money could never buy."_

Kaiba rolled his eyes at this.

Joey rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, now that I think about it, there's something I meant to do before we dig in." He raised his glass. "A toast to Kaiba, the founder of this feast!"

Mai huffed. "'Founder of this feast' my—" She cut herself off, glancing at the kids. "If it weren't for that man, we might actually be having a decent meal!"

"Yeah, he could definitely stand to treat his employees better," Joey said with a shrug, "but let's keep in mind that it's Christmas! I mean, even Kaiba could use a little cheer on this day. Maybe then he wouldn't _be _such a Scrooge!"

Mai sighed. "Well, for your sake, Joey, and because it's Christmas, sure. A very merry Christmas to Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba couldn't help but feel touched by this. He treated Wheeler like dirt, yet here the man was trying to convince his family that he wasn't as bad as they obviously thought he was.

Pushing that thought from his mind, Kaiba glanced once more around the room, his gaze falling on the youngest child, Mikey. He had a question he just had to get an answer to. "Bobasa," he asked, "that boy, Mikey. Will he be okay?"

_"I see an empty chair at this table. And a crutch without an owner. A family struck by grief. If something doesn't change, this boy's fate is sealed."_

Kaiba gulped, glancing at the boy again.

Bobasa interrupted his thoughts. _"Now, on to a somewhat happier Christmas!"_

Kaiba knew where he was this time: Noah's house. And from the look of things, his Christmas party was in full swing.

Noah called for silence and raised his glass. "A toast!" he cried. "To my dear brother Seto!"

His guests just stared at him. Kaiba got the feeling that these people didn't care much for him, just like the Wheelers. Mokuba was messing around with what was apparently one of his Christmas presents.

"Oh, come on, everybody! If anyone ever needed a toast, it's Seto! He's only the loneliest man in town, and you don't know him nearly as well as Moki and I do."

At the sound of his nickname, Mokuba looked up. "What? Oh, yeah, to Seto, even though he skipped out on us again..."

Guilt washed over Kaiba. He had to stop making promises to his brother that he wouldn't keep. Reluctantly, the party-goers toasted to Seto Kaiba. Then, they returned to the festivities.

"You know, Noah," a woman with auburn hair said, "I'd love to meet this stepbrother of yours sometime. You know, before I become a part of the family?"

Kaiba stared. A part of the family? Noah had a girlfriend?

"Why didn't he ever tell me?"

"_He wants to introduce you to her,"_ Bobasa said. _"That's really why he's been inviting you over every chance he gets. That, and he's trying to let bygones be bygones."_

At Kaiba's raised eyebrow, Bobasa continued, _"Your stepfather caused tension between you and your siblings. Noah never liked you, but he's gotten to know more about you from Mokuba. He's trying to forge a bond with you, but you keep pushing him away. You always want to be alone."_

Noah wrapped an arm around the woman. "Patricia, I'll tell you what I keep telling Mokuba: Seto's not exactly my biggest fan, and I can't blame him. I wasn't exactly very nice to him when we were kids. I'm sure that he'll warm up to me eventually, and then you'll meet him."

Kaiba half expected Patricia to laugh or something, but she smiled. "Well, from what you've told me about him, I can honestly say that I can't wait to meet him."

He couldn't help but feel touched again, and, much to his own chagrin, Kaiba felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes. This mushiness wasn't like him, but he couldn't help it—he always avoided his stepbrother, going out of his way to do so, and here the guy was talking about him like he was a great guy!

"Okay, Bobasa, I've seen enough. I get it; I need to stop treating everyone I know like dirt. Take me home now."

Bobasa shook his head. _"I'm afraid that I don't have time for that. My time is up. Goodbye, Kaiba, and remember what you have seen here tonight."_

Bobasa vanished, leaving Kaiba alone in a place he definitely didn't belong.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm on a roll today, so here's chapter 5 and the final spirit! One more chapter to go! I don't own YuGiOh.**

**Edit: I made a few changes, but I think it could still use some work.**

Chapter 5

Kaiba was feeling panicky now. He didn't know why, but he couldn't wake up from this dream. Maybe it wasn't a dream? No, that couldn't be!

Suddenly, there was a gust of wind, and Kaiba found himself standing in the dark.

"_Hello, Seto Kaiba," _said a deep voice.

"Where are you?" Kaiba asked. "Who are you?"

"_You should know the answer to that question."_

"You're the last spirit. What, the Ghost of Christmas Future?"

"_Close. Christmas Yet to Come. But, if you don't believe in spirits, just call me Yami."_

Kaiba thought that name was fitting, especially since he couldn't even see the speaker. "So, are you going to hide in the shadows forever, Yami, or just until Christmas?"

The spirit chuckled. A man about Kaiba's age stepped out of the shadows. He had spiky, tri-colored hair and crimson eyes. One thing was for sure: this spirit was more intimidating than the previous two had been.

"_Well, Kaiba, let's get on with this," _Yami said with a somewhat demented smile on his face. Then he showed Kaiba the worst images yet.

They started their look into the future at Joey Wheeler's home. Mai was sitting alone on the couch when a noise from down the hall announced that Tea and Alister were at it again. Mai groaned, obviously not in the mood to deal with this.

"Knock it off, you two!" she yelled. "If you can't behave, you're both going back to the orphanage!"

"She started it!" yelled Alister.

"Yeah, that's it! Blame me!" Tea yelled back at him.

Ryo came running into the room as a loud crash, like glass breaking, was heard down the hall. He stopped and looked back, then said, "There goes the window..."

Mai stormed off toward the two fighting children and pulled them apart. "You two, I have enough to worry about without the two of you trying to kill each other! What with your father in jail and Mikey..." She trailed off. Alister bowed his head and began to sob.

Tea looked ashamed of herself. "Sorry, Mom," she said. Then she looked at Alister. "I'm really sorry, Alister."

He nodded.

"What? Wheeler's in jail? What for?" Kaiba stared at Yami, waiting for an answer.

Yami grinned malevolently. _"Let's just say he's on death row."_

Kaiba stared at him. Death row? What had he done?

"What about Mikey? What happened to him?"

"_Didn't you notice how somber everyone became at the mere mention of the boy? But what does it matter, who cares what happened to him? It's not like his life really mattered to anyone, after all."_

Kaiba felt numb all of a sudden. "No," he said, "that can't be. Are you telling me he's dead?"

Yami frowned at Kaiba, saying, _"What does it matter to you? He's just some little kid. Who cares what happens to him?"_

"Obviously his family! I mean, look at them!" Watching this family grieving, a horrible thought hit Kaiba. "Yami," he said slowly, "What did Wheeler do to get on death row?"

Yami flashed his most wicked smile. _"I thought you'd never ask," _he said as he took Kaiba to another place.

From the look of this run-down building, this was not the kind of place anyone would live. A laugh from the doorway drew Kaiba's attention. What he saw there was a man with long white hair and a scar across one of his purple eyes. He had a sack slung over his shoulder, causing Kaiba to decide that this man was a thief.

"What a great haul we got today, eh, Marik? Iris?"

An Egyptian boy followed the man into the room, also carrying a sack. His hair wasn't exactly white, but it was bleached. Behind him was a woman with long black hair down to her waist. Her violet eyes gleamed menacingly. This was not a group to cross.

"Tell me about it!" said the woman, Iris. "Who would have thought the place would be that easy to rob. I mean, I know he's dead, but you would think his servants or at least his brothers would make it more of a challenge to steal his stuff."

"Are you kidding?" Marik laughed. "That man was about as popular as we are rich!"

The man wagged a finger at him. "Now, now, Marik. Watch what you say. After all, thanks to him, we are rich now."

Marik and Iris laughed with him. "You're right, Bakura!"

"Who are they talking about?" Kaiba wondered. Looking at Yami, he wished he had kept that thought to himself. The man was looking rather amused, a gleam in his eye that gave Kaiba chills.

"_Wouldn't you like to know, Kaiba. Does that description seem completely foreign to you? An unpopular, rich man with brothers?"_

Kaiba had an idea who they were talking about, but he didn't like it. Yami's evil grin emerged again, and then Kaiba was standing in a cemetery.

"What are we doing here?" he asked. "Why have you brought me here?"

"_To show you something." _Yami pointed a few rows away to a plain, unremarkable headstone. Kaiba approached it slowly, worried about what he would see on it. He was beginning to understand what Joey had done to put himself on death row.

Kaiba looked at the name engraved on the headstone, and he felt faint. "Seto Kaiba..." he breathed. "No way..."

It was his _own_ tombstone!

"_After his son died, Joey Wheeler killed you for being such a cheapskate. You could have saved the boy, but you chose instead to be greedy and stingy. Well, looks like you finally got what you deserved, Seto Kaiba."_

"NO!" Kaiba yelled. "This won't happen! I won't allow it!" He turned to Yami. "I'll change! I'll treat people with more respect! I won't turn the other way when someone needs help. Please! Give me another chance!"

Yami just laughed. The wind started blowing fiercely as Kaiba continued to beg. "Please! I'll keep Christmas in my heart! All the year!"

The grave opened up, and Kaiba found himself sliding into his own grave. He kept pleading with Yami, swearing he would change and that he would be a better person. It seemed as if his pleas fell on deaf ears. He could feel the flames of Hell as he fell into the pit.

Suddenly, Kaiba found himself back in his bed. Sunlight was coming through the window.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry this took so long! The holidays are crazy. Anyway, here it is! The final chapter! Enjoy! I don't own YuGiOh.**

**Edit: Okay, Christmas eve. Here's the final update.**

Chapter 6

Kaiba looked around. Yes, this was indeed his room. "I'm back," he whispered. Then, he sprang from his bed and ran to the window, threw it open, and looked out into the street.

"It's morning."

Looking around, Kaiba saw that man from yesterday—the one he had almost run over. "Hey, you!" Kaiba yelled.

The man jumped, startled, and looked up. He groaned. "Not you again! Listen, I'm sorry! I didn't see you!"

Kaiba shook his head, saying, "Never mind that. What day is it?"

The man on the street gave Kaiba a strange look. "Uh, it's Christmas, dude!"

Kaiba sighed in relief. _I haven't missed it, _he thought. Then he thought of something else.

"Hey! Do me a favor and go buy a nice, big turkey! Then take it to Joey Wheeler! Got that?"

"And you want me to buy it with what, my money?"

"Come inside, and I'll give you the money. And some extra for your trouble."

The man came in, and Kaiba handed him more money than was really necessary, handing him an entire briefcase filled with the green stuff.

"Make sure you don't tell them who it's from, got that?" Kaiba added as the man turned to go.

"No problem, man! Thanks!" And with that, he ran off to find a turkey.

Kaiba, meanwhile, was trying to get ready for Christmas.

"I need gifts! I can't go to Noah's Christmas party empty-handed!" he said as he rushed out of his room.

He came back a moment later when he realized he was still in his pajamas. Hurriedly, he got dressed, then ran out again.

"I hope that somewhere is open!" he said as he hurried out the door.

The servants were all staring as he rushed through the home, wishing them a merry Christmas. They were baffled.

"Master Seto, are you feeling alright?" the maid asked.

"I'm feeling great! It's Christmas morning, and I've got a party to attend. By the way, what are you doing here? Go home and celebrate with your family!"

The maid looked confused for a moment before smiling. "Yes, Master Seto! Of course!"

As she turned to leave, Kaiba called, "Tell the rest of the staff the same! And merry Christmas!"

Stepping out of the door, Kaiba saw the two men from yesterday who had been asking for donations.

"Hey! You two!"

The men turned, slightly startled, as Kaiba walked over to them.

"I have a bone to pick with you two."

"Sir, we weren't here to ask for your money," one of the men said. "We just—"

"Save it," he interrupted, pulling a wad of cash out of his pocket. "I need you to take this."

The man took the money from Kaiba, fingering through and counting. "Why, there must be—"

"Not enough?" Kaiba asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out another wad of cash. "Fine. Here's another few hundred. But I'm not giving you a cent more, got that?"

The men both gaped at him. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Kaiba! Thank you!" one said as Kaiba walked off.

"Merry Christmas," Kaiba called back.

"Merry Christmas!" the two men answered.

Meanwhile, at the Wheeler residence, a man approached the door with a turkey. He knocked on the door and waited.

When Mai opened the door, the man handed her the turkey and said, "Here. A gift from someone who wants to remain anonymous."

Mai stared at the turkey, then looked at the delivery boy. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Just the messenger. Merry Christmas!"

"Wait a minute!" Mai called as the man ran off. "Are you sure you've got the right house!?"

The man didn't answer—he just kept running. Mai stared at the turkey in shock. Joey came to see what was going on, took one look at the turkey, and said, "Who's that from?"

Mai shrugged and said, "No idea. He didn't say."

Meanwhile, Kaiba was on his way to Noah's Christmas party. When he knocked on the door, Noah answered. He seemed shocked to see Kaiba there.

"Seto! You actually came!" he said, ushering Kaiba inside. "Moki, guess who's here!"

Mokuba came into the hallway, and froze when he saw Kaiba. Then, he charged his older brother in a hug. "Seto! You actually came!"

Kaiba laughed. "Of course, Mokuba. Didn't I say I would?"

The guests were all shocked to see Seto Kaiba looking so merry at a Christmas party, but they soon adjusted to this strange sight. As the party went on, Kaiba found he was actually enjoying himself—the games, the food, the company was even decent. And, much to his surprise, Noah had invited an old friend.

"Seto?" a familiar female voice spoke behind him. Kaiba turned and saw Kisara, the woman of his dreams who he had driven away so long ago. She was wearing a red skirt and a white shirt, the lace sleeves hanging off her shoulders.

"Hello, Kisara," he said.

The two talked for awhile, catching up. After a little while, Kisara raised an eyebrow.

"Seto, what happened?" she asked with a smile. "You seem so...different. Much more like yourself."

Kaiba smiled at her and said simply, "A few friends showed me what an idiot I've been lately."

Kisara's smile widened, and someone suddenly yelled, "Mistletoe!" Kaiba jumped and looked up. He and Kisara were standing under the mistletoe. Slowly, he leaned in and kissed her.

It was the best Christmas Kaiba had had in a long time.

The next day, Kaiba was tapping his fingers on his desk impatiently. Joey had not yet arrived. Suddenly, Kaiba's employee came skidding into the room. Kaiba stood up.

"You're late, Wheeler!"

Joey cringed. "Sorry, sir, but—"

"Save it! I don't want excuses! I want employees I can count on!"

Joey sighed, certain that he was about to get fired. Kaiba smiled and said, "Like you, Wheeler."

Joey jumped, staring at Kaiba in confusion. "I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?"

"You've put up with me this whole time when others wouldn't have. You toughed it out instead of telling me to stick it. And, to my knowledge, you haven't been plotting my death." He smirked a bit. "I think you've proven that you would make a decent business partner."

Kaiba smiled at the look of awe on Joey's face. "Are you saying...?"

Kaiba crossed his arms. "But don't let it go to your head, Wheeler. If I think you're dragging this company down, you're out. Got it?"

Joey grinned. "Yeah, sure thing, partner!"

The spirits, watching from above, were pleased.

"_So, you think he's really learned his lesson?"_ Mana asked.

"_I'm sure of it,"_ Bobasa said with a nod. _"After all, who can receive a visit from Yami and not change their ways?"_

Yami just smirked. _"Bobasa, I don't know whether that was a compliment or an insult. But, regardless, I can assure you that Seto Kaiba has learned his lesson."_

Mana cocked her head. _"You know, now that I think about it, wouldn't it make more sense for us to visit these kind of people when they're still young? I mean, that Ebenezer guy didn't get a visit from us until he was old."_

Laughing, Yami said, _"Mana, we come when we're requested. It's not our fault Marley waited so long."_

"_True."_

Bobasa stretched. _"Well, if you two will excuse me, Bobasa is hungry!"_

As the fat spirit left, Mana and Yami just laughed.

"_Ghost of Christmas Present,"_ Yami chuckled. _"And, in his mind, every day is Christmas."_

"_Not a bad philosophy,"_ Mana flirted. _"But I'm ready for Valentine's Day. What about you, Yami?"_

Yami wrapped an arm around her, and the two of them left.

From that day on, Kaiba was true to his word. He was a good neighbor, a good man, and a good friend. He never heard from those spirits again—and he was not complaining about that.


End file.
